10 Best Ways to Store Soft and Hard Cheeses

Who doesn’t love at least one type of cheese? It’s fresh, delicious, versatile and fit for any season.

Stores have an abundance of cheeses, from soft and creamy cheese with a fresh taste or hard and aged flavored cheese. After purchasing the cheese, you will need to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

However, you may not afford those expensive gourmet cheeses. Also, the cheap and processed cheese products may sound unhealthy. If you haven’t found the cheese type you want to purchase next or don’t know trustworthy cheese brands, you can find more details and options on TodayTopReviews.

So, let’s see which the safest and healthiest ways are to store cheese and keep it fresh, tasty and mold free!

How to Store Soft and Hard Cheese to Keep It Fresh

1. Re-Wrap the Cheese

Once you get home, re-wrap the cheese. Cheese is usually packed to have a long shelf life and to adjust to the temperatures in the supermarket or store. You will keep it in the fridge, so you need to re-wrap it according to that chilly temperature.

Moreover, re-wrap the cheese carefully every time you consume it. If the cheese variety needs to be stored in paper, then change the paper on each occasion.

2. Try Cheese Bags

Cheese bags or cheese papers have pores that expose the cheese to the right amount of air they need to stay fresh. The wrap contains wax-coated paper and a thing layer of plastic, which keeps moisture from spreading.

If you often purchase cheese, the cheese wrap is a worthy investment that minimizes your improvisation.

3. Use a DIY Alternative

If cheese paper is not among your kitchen goods, you can create a DIY alternative to wrapping cheese. You will need to create an environment that provides cheese with the right amount of air and humidity.

Use paper for wrapping the cheese. Then, wrap it in a thin plastic bag or plastic paper. Make sure you fold the layers correctly and avoid the plastic touching the cheese.

4. Store It Somewhere Warm

Place the cheese in the warmest side of your refrigerator. If you don’t have a cheese drawer, you should have one for fruit or vegetables. The recommended storage temperature is 35 – 45 degrees Fahrenheit (1.6°C – 7.2°C). The environment should also be humid.

Moreover, don’t place it near the meat bin, to avoid accidental freezing. If you can store some foods with dry ice, cheese needs to stay away from it.

Soft, semi-soft or semi-hard cheese need cheese paper or parchment paper. This paper filters the right amount of air but protects the cheese. However, this wrap gathers moisture which you need to eliminate often.

Otherwise, cheese will lose its flavor and harden, after a while.

6. Soft cheese: Store in a Jar

Use a jar for storing cheese in the refrigerator. The cheese is totally isolated to air from the fridge. However, it also creates and environment by using the amount of air it needs. In absence of a jar, you can use an airtight container.

Make sure you eliminate the excessive moisture every time you consume cheese.

7. Hard Cheese: Save its Moisture

Hard cheese needs air, so that it can stay fresh and not dry. You can use cheese paper, parchment or wax paper for storing this variety. However, you will need to wrap it tight or seal it with a tape, to avoid too much air.

Alternatively, you can place it in a sealed class container or a sealed plastic bag.

8. Protect the Cheese

If a few days have already passed, and cheese is exposed to molding and alterations, you can protect it. Rub the slices or cut faces of the cheese with a little bit of olive oil. Then, place it in the airtight container.

This way, if mold appears, it will grow on the oil, instead of the cheese. All you need to do is wipe it off.

9. Label the Cheese

You should label the cheese with its variety and date of purchase. You can find ways to store hard cheese for several months in the fridge. However, you should only purchase the amount of cheese that you’re likely to consume within a week.

As days pass, you will know whether to check the cheese or not, thanks to the label.

10. Don’t Improvise on Wrapping

Wrapping the cheese to tight or too loose will alter its smell. By not wrapping it tight enough, you allow the cheese to dry, harden and spread its specific ammonia smell. However, when wrapping it too tight, you don’t allow it to breathe.

Also, never wrap it only in plastic. Plastic doesn’t allow the cheese to breathe. Therefore, it’s suffocating the taste. Soon, cheese will taste like plastic and even alter faster, due to the lack of air.

To Cheese Tasting

Remember that cheese needs to taste and smell as it did when you bought it. If the ammonia smell is too intense, it might be time to throw it away, especially if it’s a soft cheese. Also, hard cheese may harden even more or have a moist film on it. Try scraping it and see if underneath it, the cheese is still fresh.

Then, feel free to eat fresh cheese with salads, add it to foods or even enjoy it with a white French wine. Bon Appetit!

I how this post gives you some ideas on how to store hard cheese as well as soft cheeses. If you are really into cheese, check out Dave’s how to section on Farmhouse Cheddar.

About The Author

David Nash

Dave Nash served 6 years in active duty in the US Marines, and is in his 18th year of state service. During his career he worked in both State Emergency Management and Corrections. Currently he is a Corrections Academy Instructor. Additionally David is an NRA Training Counselor and author of 10 different books relating to self reliance.